Brothers After All
by wolfygirl13
Summary: Sesshoumaru gets ambushed at his own castle, and Inuyasha gets a strange feeling. What will happen when Inuyasha goes off to investigate? Read and find out!
1. The Ambush

"Heh," Sesshoumaru scoffed weakly. "I'm covered in blood..."

"You'll be dead before long," a demon told him.

"Is this your version of entertainment?" Sesshoumaru looked over expectantly at the circle of grinning faces. "I could think of better things to do with my time than this."

"You would believe that," another demon said.

"So much for trust," Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Traitors," he insulted unemotionally.

"Now, now, My Lord," one of the demons mocked, "we simply couldn't stand by and watch as you allowed yourself to become weak and pitiful. You had your arm sliced off, and yet you refuse to destroy your brother. And the fact that you have regained it has nothing to do with that. Even worse, you adopt a human girl! How can we idly sit around if you're losing your mind!"

"I don't know," Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, not about to argue that he still had his sanity. It would be pointless to try and convince his former lieutenants that he wasn't crazy. "So what is it that you plan on doing? Watching me die? Killing me? What?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Should we tell him?" one of the demons looked at the other-they were the main ones in charge.

"I'm sure we can answer his questions," the second one agreed. "He's going to die eventually anyway, why not let him know? It won't change any of it."

"Alright then," the first demon nodded. "Well, Sesshoumaru, to put it simply...we're just going to kill you as painfully as possible"

"That's comforting," Sesshoumaru replied sarcastically. "I almost wish I hadn't asked."

"You can always surrender the girl to us and save yourself that agony," the demon said.

"Suggesting the same thing four hundred times isn't going to change my mind," Sesshoumaru said.

"Suit yourself. Corporal-you and your soldiers need to chain him up. We'll throw him in the dungeon for now and see if that changes his mind," the lead demon instructed.

"Yes, Lord Satsujin!" the demon answered promptly, then snapped to his army. Five demons ran over with a strong set of shackles, preparing to hold Sesshoumaru still if he struggled.

"Are you going to fight me on this, Sesshoumaru?" Satsujin asked as the soldiers stood near the dog-demon, waiting for the signal.

"What would you do if I were to kill these ones? Heh. You'd take long enough to blink before sending more of them to beat me by sheer numbers. I'd rather be led away with an insult than dragged out of here unconcious," Sesshoumaru replied offhandedly. "Get it over with. If you're really going to pull me around like a pup on a leash, then be quick about it."

Satsujin nodded and gave the soldiers his signal, and they went over to place the strong cuffs on the demon. The chains were made especially for strong demons-after all, they were made at the request of the demon-lord himself, and Sesshoumaru had many fights with other powerful demons. Had he known that keeping them alive would allow the traitors to free them, he would have killed them at the start.

Sesshoumaru growled in protest as the shackles were locked around his wrists and looped around his waist, but offered no further struggle. It would have been a waste of effort; he knew that much. This wasn't a band of humans, or a fight with a single strong demon. He was surrounded by over a hundred rivals, not a single one of them without merit. A Lord that he had managed to capture with some difficulty, a few War Generals, and his own specially chosen lieutenants and corporals-there was no question of the victor if it came to a battle, as much as Sesshoumaru hated to admit it to himself.

"This is going to be delightfully amusing," one of the other demons grumbled out happily. "We should make him do some dog tricks for us before we kill him!"

The other demons began to laugh at that, and Sesshoumaru stopped and snarled at the comment. The guards shoved him forward, and he stumbled slightly before moving. He growled softly under his breath, vowing that he would never give them the pleasure of forcing him to be their heel-hound. He was no faithful terrier that would sit at anyone's feet and wait for a command.


	2. Sensation

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked, noticing that the half-demon had paused and sniffed at the air, looking around with a troubled expression.

"I dunno," Inuyasha shrugged. "I had a strange feeling, that's all. Something about...well, uh, nevermind," he said as he shook his head. "It was strange."

"About what? Come on, tell me!" Shippou begged, tugging on Inuyasha's sleeve.

"Well, actually, it was about Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha answered. "I had this weird feeling he was in trouble or something, but I don't know why I would care if he was."

"That is kind of strange," Shippou nodded. "Maybe your instincts are telling you to help him or something. You are brothers, after all."

"Probably," the half-demon closed his eyes and sighed. "Not as if that cocky bastard would ever get himself into trouble anyways. If there's one thing I know about my brother, it's the fact that he's about as strong as I am. He wouldn't get hurt or nothing unless he was up against somebody like Naraku, and if that were the case, I'd sense that evil bastard."

"Which evil one, Naraku or Sesshoumaru?"

"I was talking about Naraku that time," Inuyasha answered. "I don't get it, but whatever. I just had a really funny sensation, that's all."

"You're fidgeting," the fox observed.

"You're bugging me," Inuyasha retorted.

"Hey, I was just keeping you company while the others were getting camp ready!" Shippou said.

"Eh, whatever," Inuyasha said, looking off to the distance.

"Don't tell me that you're thinking about going after him," Shippou said, noticing the urgent, nervous, longing look that came right before somebody jumped up and went off.

"Why in the hell would I try to save his sorry ass!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Because you can't get rid of that nagging, itchy feeling unless you do," Shippou replied.

"Dammit, shut up and quit being right!" Inuyasha growled out.


	3. Dungeon

"Welcome to your castle. Hope you like it," one of the guards laughed as they shoved him into the dungeon, removing his shackles.

Sesshoumaru turned and glared at the demon, but all of them had already left. He sighed and looked out the small barred window, gazing up at the moon. The bright crescent of light shone down mercifully, giving Sesshoumaru a small amount of comfort as he sat down and leaned against the cold stone wall.

"How long are we keeping him alive?" a demon asked, most of the conference still in the large open room in the main part of the castle. They all knew that Sesshoumaru's keen ears were just as likely as not to hear them, and they wanted to make him squirm if he could.

"I should say maybe a week," one suggested.

"No, two weeks," another said.

"A month," Satsujin replied. "Because that's how long it will take for me to break that stubborn whelp. He's too proud to snap under a simple beating. This has to be much more complicated," the demon grinned. "We're going to have to take him apart piece by piece, my friends. This is going to have to be a long and rather difficult task, but the end result will be well worth it."

The rest of the congregated demons grinned fiendishly as they thought of their plans, many of them chuckling evilly at their own particular ideas. Each of them was plenty willing to wait.


	4. Decision

"What's happening, Inuyasha? You seem anxious," Kagome noticed after a few minutes.

"Nothing," Inuyasha replied absently, looking around nervously and fidgeting.

"He's got a weird feeling about Sesshoumaru. Says he feels like he's in trouble, but that makes no sense, because he and Sesshoumaru hate each other. It must just be his instincts. They are brothers, after all," Shippou pointed out.

"That is kind of strange," Sango agreed thoughtfully.

"If only the same instinct kept them from fighting each other," Miroku sighed.

"Well, do you wanna check on him or something?" Kagome asked hesitantly. She was surprised when Inuyasha didn't snap at her and call her stupid for suggesting it.

"I dunno. Maybe," he responded, looking up at the moon thoughtfully.

"Wow, you must be really worried," she said, amazed. The others all nodded in agreement; it was astonishing enough that he was thinking about his brother, but even more surprising that he was thinking about helping him out. Each of them secretly wished he would, actually.

"I'm gonna go find out what the hell he's doing," Inuyasha finally said, standing up. "And if he doesn't like it, he can just deal with it. I'm going to find out why I'm so damn edgy, I don't care if he tries to fight me over it. Anyone else coming?"

"I think we should all go with you," Kagome said, standing up with him. Miroku and Sango nodded in agreement. Shippou hesitated, but eventually consented. Kirara transformed into her large flying form, and they were off, following the direction that Inuyasha took.


	5. Contemplation

"I wonder why he won't tell us where that girl-child is? Not as if he's doing himself any favors by keeping her around. I can't figure out why he cares about the brat anyway," a demon muttered.

"He must have inherited his father's liking for the creatures," another scoffed. "He used to be terribly good at keeping it suppressed, but I suppose it shows up when least expected."

"Well, you never know what you'll see next with his family," a third shook his head. "First his father takes up a human, and after being with his mother..."

"It's not as if I would care if he were friends with that Inuyasha kid," a fourth added. "They are brothers, after all, even if he is a half-demon and Sesshoumaru a full demon. But taking up with humans? I never thought that he, of all of us, would go that far..."

"He always did seem to be the most hateful of us all when it came to humans," another nodded.

"No accounting for taste," one scoffed. They all nodded and sighed in agreement.


	6. Directions

"What do you want!" Jaken demanded. "I'll tell you nothing, you impudent half-demon!"

"Look, I just want to know where he is," Inuyasha said. "I don't have time to fight you, so you better just stay out of my way."

"Not as if you could ever defeat him!" Jaken scoffed. "If you intend to go and fight him, then I suggest you give up as soon as you encounter him. He recently regained the arm you sliced off, and now he's much stronger than the last few times you've fought."

"I'm not going to fight him," Inuyasha said, exasperated. "I'm just checking on him!"

"Checking on him!" Jaken gaped in confusion.

Inuyasha sighed and rolled his eyes, moving his hand to rub his forehead. "Look, it's going to sound strange, and I can't even understand it myself, but just hear me out. I've got this annoying feeling that he's in trouble-instincts, I guess, because I damn well know I don't care about him-but this feeling won't go away unless I know he's alright, and it's about to drive me up a cliff. Now will you just tell me where he is?" Inuyasha asked.

Jaken blinked and stared at Inuyasha for a long minute, trying to gain his composure. Finally, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes meditatively before answering.

"You'll find him at his castle. You should know where that is. He went to take care of official business, and he said he wouldn't be back for about three days. That's almost how long it takes to get there and back."

"How long ago was that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Early morning yesterday," the imp responded, opening his eyes again. "Are you satisfied?"

"Yeah. Thanks," Inuyasha called quickly as he ran off again.

"Uh...you're welcome," Jaken mumbled in disbelief as he watched the half-demon leave. "Ugh, I will never understand either one of them," he sighed. "Oh well..."

"Where's your brother's castle?" Shippou asked.

"It's in the west. He's got a pretty strong fortress up there, in the mountains," Inuyasha said.

"How would you know, anyway?" Shippou asked thoughtfully. "Did you used to be friends when you were kids or something?"

"No, it's just that there are certain things we know about each other. He knows the night I turn human, I know about his castle...we're brothers, after all," Inuyasha replied.

A few hours later, a false dawn began to turn the sky gray.

"Hey, I'm tired," Kagome yawned. "Let's get some rest and keep on going a little later, huh?"

"I agree," Miroku said. "I'm feeling a bit sleepy myself..."

"I'm exhausted," Shippou nodded.

"Alright, we can stop," Inuyasha finally agreed. "But we leave first thing when we get up."

"Okay," Sango spoke for the rest of the group as they stopped. None of them even felt like setting up camp-they started a small fire with a few handfuls of twigs and fell asleep easily.


	7. Torture

Sesshoumaru paced around the small cell, maddened by the sound of his own footsteps, but unable to keep still. He was restless and on edge; his anger simply refused to leave him. The dog-demon had hoped that his mind would subvert into resignation, but he was stoking and fuming. It drove him nearly insane, and it was all he could do to keep from screaming out in frustration.

"You're quite an active one, I see," his watch-guard said.

"Leave me alone," Sesshoumaru snapped.

"Touchy, touchy," the demon muttered. "I was only trying to make conversation to pass the time."

"I'm quite content to pass the time in silence," Sesshoumaru returned angrily.

"Well, have it your way then," the demon sighed. "I was only trying to make you as comfortable as I could, but apparently you enjoy solitude."

"Shut up."

The guard rolled his eyes and kept quiet, watching Sesshoumaru pace back and forth. Sesshoumaru stiffened and stopped after a few more minutes, looking to the side warily as more demons approached his cell. He had to stifle a furious growl as Satsujin grinned at him.

"Well, well, it seems we have decided what we're going to do first," Satsujin spoke as he stood just outside the dungeon. "You can come quietly or we can drag you out of there, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru snarled and cracked his knuckles at his side, but kept his claws down. Satsujin nodded, understanding the reply. The demon-lord didn't like it, but he knew when it was in his best interest to go along with something. The door was slowly opened, and the soldiers chained the dog-demon once more. They led him out to the castle courtyard, and when he finally stopped, he realized what they were going to do.

On the far side of the courtyard, there was a device that was usually meant for interrogating a prisoner. The construction was simple-a standing wooden platform that held the victim upright while he was questioned. The captive would be strapped to the platform and held immobile so that he wouldn't be able to escape. Under normal circumstances, the helpless person would be asked a question and given a chance to answer. If they refused, they would be beaten until they decided to change their mind.

"You should know what we intend to do," Satsujin said coolly, noticing that Sesshoumaru was looking over at the platform.

"Bastard," Sesshoumaru growled out as the soldiers shoved him forward.

"I'll beat you senseless to get you on there if I have to," Satsujin replied as the guards prepared to take the shackles off. "It's up to you."

Sesshoumaru stayed still as they took off the chains, and he had to stifle a growl when they removed his armor and his shirt. They held him with his back against the device as they strapped him securely to the platform, and he grumbled a low note as they did so. He flexed his arm, testing the bonds, but they were enchanted to hold demons, and he knew he couldn't get free.

"Are you ready for it?" Satsujin grinned as he looked at his former lord.

"Just get it over with," Sesshoumaru snapped irritably.

"If you insist," Satsujin replied smugly. "Guards."

The soldiers jumped to attention, then drew their swords and advanced forward. Sesshoumaru put on a brave face as the demons smiled at him fiendishly. He knew that they were going to torture him until he begged them to stop; he only hoped he could hold out long enough to die first, or at least be fortunate enough to pass out before then. It wasn't likely, though; he knew that there were plenty of methods that incurred horrendous pain without doing serious injury. He braced himself for the anguish he was about to go through, clenching his teeth to keep quiet.


	8. Dream

"Inuyasha, are you sure you know how to get to his castle?" Miroku asked doubtfully.

"It takes a while to get there," Inuyasha responded. "I know where I'm going."

"You look worried," Sango observed. "Is something else the matter?"

"I had this weird dream last night," Inuyasha said as he kept running. "Sesshoumaru was tied up to some sort of wooden thing, and he was being beat up by a bunch of other demons. I can't get it out of my head. I keep having this annoying feeling that he needs my help. I don't know why my head cares about that cocky bastard, but it's about to make me go mad. I guess it's because we're related. We are brothers, after all."

"Well, we should hurry," Kagome said. "If he's really getting hurt that bad, we need to find him-and fast!"

"I know," Inuyasha replied as he kept running.


	9. Mercenary

"Give it up, Sesshoumaru. You're only making it more difficult for yourself," Satsujin told him.

Sesshoumaru only glared at him, unable to respond. He was panting for breath, and his blood was seeping out from his wounds. The guards had beaten him nearly senseless, and had sliced at him with their swords and claws. He wouldn't have been able to stand if he was untied, he knew that much already. It was all he could do to keep his head up anymore.

"Continue," Satsujin ordered with a sigh. The guards resumed, and Sesshoumaru had to stifle a cry of pain as his arm was sliced to the bone. He passed out a few minutes later, allowing the sweet blackness to take over his mind.

"Drag him down and lock him in the dungeon again," Satsujin ordered. "He should come about eventually, so we need not worry about his wounds. He heals rather quickly."

The guards took Sesshoumaru out and carried his unconcious body back to his cell, setting him inside on the ground with his shirt thrown in the corner. He stayed unconcious for almost four hours, finally waking up with a groan.

"Egotistic maniacs don't know a damn thing about torture," Sesshoumaru mused as he looked at his healing wounds. "All the better, I suppose. They're the ones who won't get what they want."

"Ah, you're finally awake," his watch-guard commented. "Good to see that you aren't dead. They would have been disappointed if they hadn't gotten you to break before you died."

"Who the hell are you, anyway?" Sesshoumaru asked. "You don't act as if you hate me, and yet you watch to make sure I don't get away."

"I'm just a mercenary," the demon replied. "I work for whoever can pay me the most. I used to work for you, the last two battles you were in with one of the northern lords. I don't care one way or the other who controls what, so long as I get paid when I fight."

"Why are you guarding instead of fighting, then?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Because that's what they're paying me to do," he answered simply. "I suppose they want to have somebody strong enough to hold you back if you try to break out, at least long enough for them to get here. I know I couldn't defeat you in a fight, but I would last for a while."

"You're a rounin, are you?" Sesshoumaru asked, conversational enough with a person who was not necessarily his enemy.

"In a manner of speaking. I have my commanders, but only for as long as they pay me."

"I can hardly recall any of the mercenaries I've hired," Sesshoumaru said offhandedly.

"I'm called Himitsu Hitokiri by my employers, and my real name is only know to myself and my parents. They will never tell," he grinned.

"I've heard of you," Sesshoumaru nodded. "You're supposed to be very good at assassinations."

"I'm good at anything that involves a weapon," Hitokiri replied. "But enough of me. Tell me, why are they usurping you? You seem a well enough leader to me."

"Because I took a human girl under my care," Sesshoumaru scoffed.

"Ah, the everlasting debate," Hitokiri nodded. "To some, humans are merely cattle. To others, they are beings of some sort of merit, although not necessarily as much as demons. And still others believe that they are at equal standing, save the physical powers. Oh well, I suppose that nobody will ever agree entirely on the subject."

"It's not as if I like all humans," Sesshoumaru said. "The girl died, and I brought her back with the Tenseiga. She tried to help me when I got hurt, so I returned the favor. When she started to follow me, I didn't stop her, and then..." the dog-demon's voice trailed off.

"And then you got attached to her," Hitokiri nodded. "It happens to even the most unemotional people. I've seen it many times before. That's why I try not to take sides; I don't have any experience in associating with humans, so I don't like to judge how others deal with them."

"She always seems to know how to handle my mood," Sesshoumaru said, talking more to himself than to Hitokiri. "If I was angry, she would try to give me a flower, and I would refuse...but it would make me feel better, for some reason. If I was trying to come up with a strategy, she would be drawing out lines with her fingers, and it would give me an idea. If I wanted to be alone, she left me alone. If I needed company, she talked to me. I never had to say a word, never once asked her to travel along with me, and somehow she still realized exactly how I felt. She never once refused anything I told her to do, not even if it meant going off by herself. I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame..."

"Well, you can't help that," Hitokiri said. "It's not your fault what you feel. I hope that they will understand that, in time. As far as I'm concerned, you weren't wrong at all."

"Glad that somebody thinks so," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "It doesn't help anything, but at least I know there's somebody who doesn't think I'm crazy."


	10. Visiting

"Inuyasha, look! There's the castle!" Shippou called out.

"I see it," Inuyasha replied.

"It's huge," Sango commented.

"I knew Sesshoumaru was a Lord, but I didn't know that his castle would be so prominent," Miroku agreed. "He must be a very powerful ruler."

"He reigns over the entire western lands," Inuyasha told them. "Most of the other lords you hear about only have the southern corner of this land, or the eastern section of that domain. He owns the entire area. Sesshoumaru controls just a little bit under half the country, if you count the islands and seaports."

"Wow, he must be so powerful because he's a demon," Kagome said.

"Not really because he's a demon-because he's a strong demon," Inuyasha answered. "See, most people don't know this, but almost all of the other lords are demons. He's just a lot more powerful than the rest of them, that's why he can defeat them and gain new land-or just defend his own, whichever happens to be the case."

"I see," Kagome nodded.

"It should only take us about fifteen minutes to get there," Inuyasha said. "Get ready for it, because they're going to try and kill us if they know who I am."

"Alright," Miroku agreed.

"I'm ready," Sango said, lifting her Hiraikotsu in preparation.


	11. Greetings

"Looks like we have visitors, Lord Satsujin," the Corporal said, glancing out the window to look at the approaching group. "It appears to be Sesshoumaru's younger brother and his companions."

"Oh? If that's who it is, then let them in. They should have as much fun watching him suffer as we will. After all, they do hate each other," Satsujin replied. "Open the gates for them-they can pass through. We wouldn't want them to miss out on the entertainment..."

"Agreed," the Corporal nodded, signaling his men to stand down. The archers lowered thier bows, and the gate guards sheathed their swords.


	12. Welcoming Comittee

"What the hell?" Inuyasha came up to the gate, surprised. "Hey, what's going on here? Aren't you gonna try to stop us!"

"Our Lord has told us to allow your passage," the guard replied, gesturing to the gate that was slowly being opened.

"This is strange," Shippou muttered. "Why would he let Inuyasha inside his castle?"

"Come on, let's go," Inuyasha said decisively. The others nodded and they went up to the front doors, going inside when the soldiers opened the heavy barricades.

"Ah, Inuyasha, so good to see you," Satsujin greeted warmly.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha blinked in surprise.

"I'm Satsujin. Please, come on in," he said, leading the group towards the large living room.

"Where's my brother?" Inuyasha asked as he sat down. The others got off Kirara and sat as well, and the cat reverted to her kitten form. Satsujin sat across from them, grinning widely.

"I think you should wait a while before seeing him," Satsujin replied. "For now, let us talk. I hear that you are pursuing a formidable demon who is trying to obtain the Shikon Jewel. How very interesting-tell me, have you found him yet?"

"No, not yet," Inuyasha said, lured into conversation by the subtle bait. "That bastard goes into hiding every time he thinks he's going to lose, and he almost never shows up in person. He's just a coward with a twisted mind, and he has to be stopped," the half-demon growled.

"I understand the concept," Satsujin nodded. "A person who has lost thier mind has no business being among those who still retain their sanity."

"Exactly," Inuyasha agreed with a firm nod.

"I hear that you are actually a half-demon, yet you still defeat many full demons-you must be a formidable opponent to accomplish such feats," Satsujin said with a carefully neutral tone, examining his fingernails as if he couldn't care less.

"I might be a half-demon, but I can still beat anyone I come across," Inuyasha replied.

"You must have inherited more of your father's blood than you mother's," Satsujin mused. "So, I assume that these are your friends?"

"Yeah, they are," Inuyasha replied. "Sango is the-" Inuyasha hesitated and glanced at her. "The ninja," he said quickly. "Miroku is the monk, Kagome-well, she's not really a priestess, but kind of...Shippou is the fox, and Kirara is the cat."

"I suppose that they all know about Sesshoumaru?" Satsujin raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, they know," Inuyasha responded.

"Hey, what do you do around here, anyway?" Shippou asked curiously.

"Oh, me? I take over when Sesshoumaru is gone," Satsujin replied, trying not to grin at his play on words.


	13. Crescent of Light

Sesshoumaru sighed and looked out the window, wishing it were nighttime already. The sun offered no release from his thoughts, no comfort to his aching soul. He yearned to see the silver moon, to find some hope in the crescent of glowing light. He had never fully understood why the bright moon affected him so, but he had come to accept and even to appreciate it. Now he longed to see it surrounded by the dark blanket of sky.

"You hungry?" Hitokiri asked. "I can get you some food if you want."

"No, I'm fine," Sesshoumaru replied. "I don't eat very often anyways."

"That's not really good for you," Hitokiri sighed. "Oh well, no changing your mind once it's made up. They might try to, but you seem like a damn stubborn one."

"Heh," Sesshoumaru scoffed with a weak grin. "Stubborn. I suppose so."

"Eh, it's just another word," Hitokiri agreed. "They're gonna keep making it rough for you, though. You gotta know that. It might be better if you just act the part now, instead of really being brought down. But then again, I wouldn't know what it's like to be you, so I could be wrong. It's your choice, not mine."

"If I was going to act broken, I would have done it a long time ago," Sesshoumaru said. "I know what a person looks like when they finally think they have no hope-when every last piece of their soul has been beaten and broken, and they become hollow and empty. They have no spirit, no life, no fight left in them. And trust me, those demons don't know how to get me that far. As long as they beat me, they can believe it's working. They'll never get to my worst fear, and unless they do, I'll never break."

"Well, you certainly are determined," Hitokiri said with a smile. "I kinda like you. Of course, you wouldn't tell me your fear, because you think I might tell them, so I won't ask. But you've got it all planned out-I like that."

"You don't like me enough to get me out of here. And you're right, I won't tell you."

"Eh, I'm just doing my job. This is what I'm paid for, this is how I live," Hitokiri shrugged.

"I know that. I'd do the same if I were you," Sesshoumaru said.


	14. Invitation

"So, what sort of things do you enjoy?" Satsujin asked as he showed them around the castle.

"Well, uh..." Inuyasha thought hard.

"He likes food," Kagome supplied.

"And he enjoys using his Tetsusaiga," Miroku added.

"He likes it when Kagome scratches his ears," Shippou said.

"Hey, shut up!" Inuyasha growled out to the others, embarrassed.

"It's perfectly fine," Satsujin said with a chuckle. "Most of us enjoy food...and swordsmanship..."

"Yeah, but not all of you like having your ears scratched," Shippou said.

"No, I'll give you that," Satsujin agreed.

Inuyasha knocked Shippou upside the head.

"Hey, what was that for!" Shippou yelled.

"Be quiet," Inuyasha answered irritably.

"We have something very special planned for all of our guests tonight," Satsujin grinned. "I do hope you'll stay and watch the entertainment? You, of all people, should find it quite amusing."

"Uh...well, umm..." Inuyasha looked around nervously. "What about Sesshoumaru? He wouldn't want me here...I just wanted to see him for a few seconds, and then I was going to leave..."

"Oh, you'll see him tonight," Satsujin smiled. "In the meantime, let me show you to your rooms. I'm sure you'll find that the furnishings are quite agreeable."

"Well, uh, okay," Inuyasha agreed.

"At sunset, we will be holding a banquet in the main dining hall," Satsujin continued. "You should come; that's where your brother will show up."

"I won't have to leave my sword behind, will I?" Inuyasha asked warily.

"No, no, of course not," Satsujin laughed shortly. "You can take your sword wherever you want."

"Alright, then," Inuyasha agreed.

"Now, make yourselves comfortable," Satsujin waved as he went off. "You may choose any of the rooms in this hallway. I have to go attend to some business."

"Well, this is unexpected," Kagome said as they walked down the hall. "I mean, I thought that Sesshoumaru would have tried to kill you before you even got here. And even if it wasn't him, I was sure that he would have told his castle guards to kill you. They seem to know about you, that's for sure."

"I dunno, maybe he just wants to kill me himself, so he told them to let me in and not kill me. Who knows?" Inuyasha shrugged. "I won't turn down a stay in a castle, though. Hell, if he's going to be cordial enough to let me stay, I'll go along with it."

"I agree," Miroku said, looking inside the rooms they passed. "These lodgings are quite nice..."

"The best ones are always at the end," Inuyasha replied offhandedly. "I was in here once before, when he tried to keep me as a prisoner. He wound up forgetting to put the right ropes on me, and I broke free. I had to hide out around here for a couple of days before I could find a way out."

"Interesting story," Sango mused. "Why was he trying to keep you prisoner?"

"Well, he used to want to kill me the long way-hunt me down and wear me out before catching me and ripping me apart. So when I got caught by one of his guards, he wanted to keep me locked up until the next day, so he could set me loose in the nearby forest and chase me down. Nowadays he just wants to kill me any way he can," Inuyasha answered.

"I see," Miroku nodded.

"I hope he isn't going to try and kill you tonight," Shippou said. "This place looks like it would be really comfortable to sleep in!"

"Sure does," Kagome agreed.


	15. Formalities

A few hours later, as the sun began to sink, the demons started to congregate in the main dining hall. Satsujin had told them all about the arrival of Sesshoumaru's younger brother, and most of them agreed. The ones that were not in favor had to grumble and keep to themselves, but it was a slight minority.

"Well, it's almost time for the sun to set," Inuyasha said. "You guys coming to the party?"

"Sure," Shippou agreed instantly, jumping up on the half-demon's shoulder.

"Alright," Miroku agreed. Sango and Kagome nodded and stood up, but before anyone could go, Satsujin appeared outside the door. He tapped politely on the wooden frames.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure," Inuyasha replied as the sliding door was opened.

"I had a feeling a bit ago that something was amiss, and I finally figured it out," Satsujin grinned as he snapped his fingers. "You don't have any formal clothes. So I decided to bring some for you to choose from," he said as servants filed into the room, carrying sets of clothing for both males and females, as well as children-sized sets for Shippou. "Please, feel free to try on any of them. It's my personal gift to you-Sesshoumaru will not mind it. After all, I own this wardrobe myself."

"Oh, look at this," Sango gasped as she examined the cloth.

"I'll leave you to change now," Satsujin said as he turned and walked off. "See you all at the banquet," he called over his shoulder.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said skeptically as the others started eyeing the clothes.

"Inuyasha," Shippou said calmly, "don't you want to look good for the party? If we go there looking like this, they're only going to think less of us. They'll respect you a lot more if you're dressed up properly. Do you want them to think we're just a gang of vagabonds?"

"I guess not," Inuyasha agreed. "Alright, alright, we'll wear the fancy clothes," he sighed.

Kagome and Sango grinned as they immediately looked through the clothing, seeing which dressy kimonos would fit. Miroku went over and sifted through, evaluating which garments would look best. Shippou jumped into the pile of clothing and held up one outfit after another, trying to decide which one he liked the most. Inuyasha went over and begrudgingly sorted through the clothes, mumbling about having to change out of his regular kimono.

Half an hour later, just as the sun settled on the horizon, they were done getting dressed. Miroku was wearing a long white robe made of fine silk, with an elegant dragon design on the back. He wore a pair of sandals, as usual. Shippou had chosen to wear a dark green outfit with golden maple leaves decorating the ends of the sleeves on his shirt. His hair was tied up in a new black bow, an he had brushed his fur until it shimmered in the light. Somehow, he had managed to find a pair of black boots that fit his feet perfectly. Sango was dressed in a fancy red kimono with white doves along the entire length of the sleeves and on the dark green sash. Her hair was left down, not tied back as it usually was, and it fell around her shoulders to frame her face nicely. She was wearing sandals. Kirara had been presented with a fancy strip of black and red cloth to have tied around her neck loosely, and she had her fur brushed out. Kagome had donned a dark blue outfit, with simple yet stylish lilies patterned spaciously the entire surface. She was wearing a pair of dark blue sandals that had been among the articles of clothing. Inuyasha was dressed in a black outfit that had a stripe of dark purple around each sleeve and at the collar, and he had finally agreed to wear a pair of boots, though he protested for a good ten minutes.

"Wow, everybody looks so different," Shippou exclaimed. "I like it!"

"I must agree," Miroku nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone looks great," Inuyasha said impatiently. "Now let's go already!"

The group walked down the hallway, getting to the main hall just as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Satsujin saw them and walked over to greet them.

"Ah, you all look fine in those clothes!" Satsujin grinned amiably. "Surely you must keep them! I will not let you leave here without a gift! Now come, sit down with us, eat-you must be hungry by now. The entertainment will begin in about an hour," he said as he led the way over to the head table. "And you, my honored guests-you have reserved seats."

"Are you sure my brother is here?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh, he's here for certain. I should think he will arrive soon enough; he does tend to show up fashionably late when it comes to meals and banquets. I do believe that he doesn't quite enjoy them as he should, but it's not really any of my business," Satsujin chuckled lightly.

"Alright then," Inuyasha agreed with a shrug. Satsujin showed them where they were sitting, and he went off for a minute, saying he had something important to do for just a little while.

"Man, this is weird," Inuyasha said nervously. "Sesshoumaru would never invite me to any party, or let me stay here, or anything like that."

"Maybe he's getting married," Shippou replied.

Everyone in the group, along with a few nearby demons who had overheard, stopped and stared at the kitsune in disbelief. Shippou gulped and smiled nervously.

"It was just a thought," he said.

Inuyasha cracked a smile, and finally burst out laughing. The others all did the same, finding it hilarious to think of the dog-demon getting married.

"That dog would never get married!" Inuyasha said between laughs. "He's as cold as ice when it comes to relationships of that sort. Ha! Sesshoumaru getting married...pfffttt!"

"Hey, I didn't know," Shippou retorted, annoyed. The fox crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Satsujin asked as he came back. "Did I miss something?"

"I was wondering why Sesshoumaru would let me stay here, and Shippou said that maybe he was going to get married," Inuyasha said, still laughing. "Imagine that! HA!"

"Indeed," Satsujin nodded and suppressed a chuckle. Even though he and the others knew what was really going on, it was quite an amusing thought. Sesshoumaru would never get married, not at the rate he was going. He didn't seem to enjoy that sort of friendship; or any sort, really.


	16. Gratitude

Sesshoumaru let a small sigh escape as he looked up at the moon in relief. Hitokiri noticed and had to suppress a smile.

"You like the nighttime, don't you?" he asked carefully.

"I like the moon," Sesshoumaru answered. "Not necessarily just nighttime in general."

"Something to guide the weary traveler," Hitokiri agreed. "A way to search out your soul. I know the feeling."

"Never thought of it that way," Sesshoumaru replied. "But I suppose so."

"They're going to come for you pretty soon," Hitokiri said. "You should prepare yourself."

"I know," Sesshoumaru answered, still gazing at the moon. "I expect them to."

"She's alright," Hitokiri whispered, seeing the troubled look on the dog-demon's face.

"I hope so," Sesshoumaru answered, acknowledging his fear.

"I know she is," Hitokiri returned quietly, "because I know where she's at. They hired me to follow you-all those times you looked over your shoulder, every time you glanced to the side-it was me, watching you from the shadows. The fact is, I don't like it when guys go around and have everyone pull together to try and overthrow a lord who isn't doing anything wrong. I was told to watch you, and they wanted to know about the girl, but the never said for me to give away her whereabouts once they cornered you. She's safe now, with a friend of mine. I went back and told her I was your ally-I had to in order for her to trust me-and she's with my companion. He has a place that nobody knows about-not even I can find it without his help-but I can guarantee that she will be protected and looked after. Even if you die here, she will be cared for."

Sesshoumaru turned his golden eyes to the demon as he spoke, and when Hitokiri was finally done, the dog-demon was left speechless. His eyes spoke of his thoughts-at first, suspicion, but gradually acceptance, and then relief. Finally, ever so slowly, Sesshoumaru spoke.

"Thank you," was all he could manage to whisper as he blinked rapidly, holding back his relieved tears. He turned his gaze to the moon again, and he even let a small smile creep along his face as he thought of the girl-she was safe now. He could take comfort in the fact that she would not be harmed-he could die without wondering if she was going to be alright, if it came to that.


	17. Announcement

About an hour later, when the guests had almost finished eating, Satsujin stood up and called the assembly to attention. After a few minutes, the party quieted and looked at him expectantly.

"I have a very important announcement," Satsujin grinned as his eyes flicked to Inuyasha for a brief second. "It is time for the entertainment to begin!" he said with a grandiose sweep of his hand outward. "Guards, let us show our guests what we have planned, shall we?"

"Wonder what's going on?" Inuyasha asked quietly, leaning over to Miroku.

"I have no idea," Miroku said. "But it must be pretty big, because everyone seems to be riled up over it. Not many forms of entertainment get them excited, considering their daily lifestyle..."


	18. Collared

Sesshoumaru growled as he was led out of his cell, protesting the way he had been chained up. The soldiers had put a heavy metal collar around his neck with a thick chain to go along with it, and his hands were cuffed behind his back. The guards only shoved him forward roughly, and he scoffed and kept moving. Obviously, it would do no good to threaten the cocky warriors.

They led him up a staircase, through a few hallways, and he realized they were going the roundabout to the dining hall. It was the same hall that the dancers usually used, along with the play-actors and the comic clowns. He clenched his teeth in anger as he realized that he was meant to be a sort of show for the demons at the banquet. They hadn't pulled him out there yet, but he knew well enough that they were waiting to bring him on as a sideshow.


	19. Proof

"Now, may I introduce a little piece that I like to call...oh, what shall I call it?" Satsujin pondered for a few seconds. "Hmm...I should say 'Comedy of a Tragedy.' Yes, that fits perfectly. Alright then, The Comedy of a Tragedy, ladies and gentlemen," he grinned as he sat down again. The other demons cheered loudly, and Inuyasha looked over at Satsujin.

"You'll like it as well," Satsujin grinned as he noticed the glance. "Wait until you find out what's going on. I'm sure you'll be rather pleased, Inuyasha."

The demons in the room jeered and whistled as the first guards came out, stopping in the middle of the room. They motioned for silence, and the crowd instantly became quiet.

"May we present, with much introduction and a very long and tedious wait..."

A few laughs from the crowd were heard at that.

The guard grinned and continued. "A very special display, made in celebration of a momentous occasion..." he swept his hand. "Our very own Lord Sesshoumaru!" he said.

Sesshoumaru was shoved forward, and he stumbled a bit. He was chained, and his shirt had been ripped off. He was covered in grime from the dungeon, and his hair was dull and slightly tangled. He glared at Satsujin before realizing that Inuyasha was there. He stopped, shocked to see his younger brother.

Inuyasha was shocked as well. "Sesshoumaru!" he gaped at his older brother, unable to believe what was going on.

The others were just as surprised. Sango and Miroku were speechless, and Kagome could only gasp as she saw the dog-demon. Shippou dropped his eating-knife and stared, and Kirara mewed quietly.

"Sesshoumaru, what the hell..." Inuyasha asked as he jumped over the table, running over to stand in front of his brother.

"Go ahead," Sesshoumaru scoffed, lowering his head. "I can't stop you anymore. But I suppose that's why you're here, isn't it? I understand. Go on, beat me to a bloody pulp. What doI care anymore?"

"I didn't come here to hurt you," Inuyasha said. "I didn't even know what was going on. I had no clue, Sesshoumaru, honest!"

"I doubt it," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Why are you here, then?"

"I had a funny feeling, that's all," Inuyasha answered.

"Well, Inuyasha, what do you think?" Satsujin called. "Do you want to do the honors?"

Inuyasha looked back and blinked, a bit confused.

"I'll let you beat him this time, if you want to," Satsujin explained. "What do you say? I know you hate each other. Now's the perfect opportunity to make him suffer."

Inuyasha looked at Satsujin for a long minute, noticing idly that his friends were still too surprised to do anything. He looked back at his brother, and was a bit surprised himself. The dog-demon still had his head down, and he seemed to offer no protest towards anyone, really.

"If I beat you up, you're just going to sit there and take it," Inuyasha realized. "You won't even try to fight me on it. You'll just stay where you are until you go unconcious, and you won't even lift a finger to defend yourself."

"What would be the point? The only thing that would happen if I defend myself is that they would jump in and beat me even more. I see no reason to fight when the outcome is going to be my defeat. There's no question of it; there are too many and they're all strong by themselves. Altogether, they could kill me as easily as you can blink your eyes, and just about as quickly."

"Sesshoumaru..." Inuyasha closed his eyes for a few seconds, clenching his fist. He shook slightly from his emotions, but when he opened his eyes, he was as steady and calm as his older brother usually was.

"You idiotic jackass," Inuyasha said. "What the hell are you thinking? Did your brain decide to take a vacation or what?"

Sesshoumaru looked up, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that you must have lost your mind, because the Sesshoumaru that I know would never give up. He would glare at me right now and put on this cocky little smile that says 'go ahead and try to beat me up, you'll get tired before I get hurt.' The Sesshoumaru that I know would be kicking and clawing to get out of those chains. The Sesshoumaru that I know isn't a quitter. And if you're not the Sesshoumaru that I know, then you're not my older brother. And my grudge is against my older brother. So if you're not him, then I have no reason to hurt you," Inuyasha said as he walked back over to the table and sat down, looking at the demon expectantly.

Sesshoumaru blinked rapidly and stared at Inuyasha, wondering if the half-demon was in his right mind. Inuyasha crossed his arms, then stuck his nose up in the air and closed his eyes.

"That's not Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said confidently. "My older brother would never be subdued like that. He isn't a very docile person. If that were really Sesshoumaru, he would be fighting you right now, slicing at those chains until he broke them. This guy here isn't a very good impostor. Sesshoumaru was never one to stay around like some pussy-whipped little bitch. And that's exactly what your fake is acting like-a cowardly, spineless, weak, defeated, girly little pussy-whipped bitch," Inuyasha said, barely opening his eyes to sneak a look at his brother. He was hoping his strategy would work; he knew it was really Sesshoumaru, but he wouldn't let on.

Sesshoumaru stiffened at the comment, and he began to growl furiously.

"If you ever say that again I will rip your throat out," he snarled menacingly.

"It sounds more like him, but I still don't believe it," Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "Nice job on the way he looks, though; you almost had me going for a minute. Now where's my real brother?"

"I am your real brother, you numskull!" Sesshoumaru yelled.

"Yeah, right. Prove it," Inuyasha scoffed.

"You turn human on only one night of the month," Sesshoumaru answered. "Does that prove it?"

"Not at all. For all I know, the real Sesshoumaru told everyone in this castle when I turn human. Nice try though," Inuyasha said.

"Can't you tell from my scent?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"That doesn't account for anything. Sesshoumaru's scent is all over. You could be wearing his clothes and smell like him," Inuyasha smirked. "Give it up, you impostor. The real Sesshoumaru would be fighting tooth and claw to get away."

"I'm telling you, Inuyasha, it's not that I don't want to fight them," Sesshoumaru said. "It's just that..." he stopped, looking down with a weak smile. "Why am I explaining myself to you? As if you would care about me. It doesn't matter."

"Oh, let me hear your explanation though," Inuyasha urged. "I want to know how bad you are at acting like my brother."

"For the millionth time, I really am your brother," Sesshoumaru replied. "I just...well...there's no point anymore. They have me outnumbered, and I have nothing to fight with except my claws. They even put a spell on me, so I can't transform. I'm helpless," he said quietly. "I've finally been defeated. They might not be able to break me down into the begging little terrier they want me to be, but they beat me already. There's no reason to deny reality."

"Alright, if you really are my brother...I know that you don't talk very much, and you would never tell anyone this. I haven't ever told anyone either, so you can't possibly be an impostor if you know this one. You gonna answer if I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Sesshoumaru agreed halfheartedly.

"Okay, here goes. There was one night, a very long time ago-I was still a pretty small kid, and it was a night I turned human. There was a demon chasing me, and I tripped over a rock. What happened next?" Inuyasha asked expectantly.

"I had to come save your pathetic little hide because you broke your damn leg," Sesshoumaru scoffed as he glanced up at the half-demon. "You were unconcious after that, and I carried you back to your precious human mother. She was surprised to see me, but she thanked me anyway. I left before anyone else found out about it, and for the longest time after that, you would refuse to fight me. You'd let me beat you senseless for a while, and then I would feel too honorable to kill a defenseless whelp and let you go. It took ten years for you to finally decide to fight back again, and it was about damn time," the dog-demon scoffed. "Satisfied?"

"Sesshoumaru...it really is you..." Inuyasha muttered. He had to admit, it was getting to the point where he really was beginning to believe it was an impostor; but nobody except the two of them knew about the long-past incident, and the retelling confirmed his identity.

"I've been trying to tell you that, you halfwit," Sesshoumaru sighed. "I suppose that you're going to start thrashing me, now that you're sure I'm really your brother."

"Yes, Inuyasha, feel free," Satsujin urged gently. "He's really quite stubborn-perhaps you can succeed in making him scream. We've tried everything, and so far, none of it has worked."

Inuyasha sighed at that as he closed his eyes and shook his head. "If there's one thing I know about castles and stuff like that, it's how to get somebody to scream. You people just have no clue how to deal with a demon's body. It's not easy to hurt somebody like him," Inuyasha said as he walked over to his brother. "You see, demons like my brother here-" Inuyasha said, "are not as easy to torture as humans are. There's a huge difference between them. For example, did you know that dragon demons hate having their noses touched? They never let on to anyone else, but unless you're a very good friend, they consider it offensive. Dog-demons like my brother and I, we're sensitive in different areas. Let me illustrate," Inuyasha said, looking Sesshoumaru up and down. "Hmm, right about..." he mused as he traced his claw along his brother's side. Sesshoumaru shuddered as the claw passed over a sensitive spot, glaring at his brother the entire time. "Here," Inuyasha said, tapping his finger. "I'd say that if you want him to scream for you, you should hurt him right there"

"Guards, hand him a dagger," Satsujin ordered.

"No, no, that's okay," Inuyasha refused politely. "I want to see if you know what you're doing."

Satsujin nodded to his guard, and the demon went over to Sesshoumaru. The soldier slashed his short dagger across Sesshoumaru's side, and though the cut was very shallow, the dog-demon had to stifle a cry of pain.

"See, what did I tell you?" Inuyasha said proudly. "You guys know nothing about him like I do. Now if you'll excuse me...I would prefer to carry this out in private. You can see him when I'm done," Inuyasha grinned maliciously.

Satsujin nodded his approval, and the guards handed over the chains. Sesshoumaru snarled fiercely as Inuyasha tugged him back down the hallway, but the half-demon paid him no attention.


	20. Suspicions

"Follow them," Satsujin said quietly to a guard as the soldiers came over. "The half-demon was acting suspicious. I want you to make sure he's really going to beat him. If not, then capture him as well. Report to me afterwards." 


	21. Failed Escape

"Don't even say a damn word about me doing this," Inuyasha grumbled as he pulled Sesshoumaru into a room. He sighed as he looked at the locks on the shackles. "You really got yourself into a predicament this time, didn't you?"

"Just beat me and get it over with," Sesshoumaru growled.

Inuyasha looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "If I wanted to beat you, you would have been unconcious two minutes ago while we were in front of all those demons."

"You didn't think it was really me," Sesshoumaru replied.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Come on, how dense do you think I am!"

"Do you want an answer?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"No, it was a rhetorical question," Inuyasha replied.

"Wow, a word with more than two syllables. You've gotten halfway intelligent!" Sesshoumaru faked amazement.

"Shut your trap," Inuyasha growled.

"Why are you here, anyway? If you weren't invited, why would you come?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"I had this nagging, annoying feeling that you were in trouble, and my damn head wouldn't quit bugging me, so I came to find out if you were still alright. Which you obviously aren't, so I suppose it wasn't all that bad that I came anyway. I dreamed that you were chained up to some sort of wall and being tortured by some demons," he said, still looking over the locks. "My damn instincts are annoying sometimes. Figures that I would be the one to know you were hurt. We are brothers, after all."

"Heh," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "That particular event was last night. They plan on keeping me alive until I beg for mercy like some whimpering puppy."

"I'm the only one who could make you do that," Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't know who they think they are, trying to make you cry like a baby or something. Out of their minds, I swear..."

"You've never made me whimper before," Sesshoumaru muttered.

"I know how to," Inuyasha said. "And dammit, quit getting on my nerves before I really decide to beat you, because then I'll have to drag you out of here unconcious, and it'll be a hell of a lot faster if you can walk by yourself!"

"You honestly believe you can get out of here with me and still be alive? And what about those friends of yours?" Sesshoumaru shook his head. "You'll get every last one of us killed."

"Shut up, I'm thinking," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Inuyasha's thinking? Wow, this is a historical moment," Sesshoumaru mocked. "It should be a public announcement. People need to know when something new happens."

"Yeah, yeah, brotherly love to you too," Inuyasha growled. "Now keep your mouth shut."

"You'd be better off just letting me die here," Sesshoumaru said. "I can't fathom why you even consider doing this."

"There's a reason why I brought up that day in the woods," Inuyasha answered. "So that you would remember what happened, and understand why I'm doing this. You saved my life, and now I'm going to return the favor. I'm fully capable of beating your sorry ass after we get out of here, but this is going to be my only chance to get you out of serious trouble for a long time, if not the rest of both our lives. So don't think I like you or anything," Inuyasha warned.

"Nothing of the sort," Sesshoumaru agreed.

Inuyasha held one of the locks, then ran his claws along it to test the metal. There wasn't a single scratch-it was enchanted. He growled and tried next to get at the chain, but the entire thing was bespelled.

"Dammit, I can't figure out how to get that thing off you," he sat down, frustrated.

"And you won't get it off for quite some time," a voice replied as four figures emerged from the shadows, weapons pointed at the brothers. Inuyasha looked up in surprise, jumping to his feet and pulling out his sword.

"It's useless. The fang will not help you," a demon spoke. "You can come quietly, or we can force you to come along," he said.

Sesshoumaru sighed and kept his head down while Inuyasha growled fiercely.

"It's pointless, Inuyasha. They can absorb the power of any attack you use and split it amongst their own weapons. If you attack, you only give them more power. I should know-after all, that's the reason I chose them as my own lieutenants."

Inuyasha looked over at his brother in shock, then finally nodded. "You have to promise me something," he warned as he prepared to sheath his sword. "You'll let my friends leave here unharmed."

"Agreed," a demon responded. "Only if you come along without fighting us."

"Alright," Inuyasha sighed heavily as the guards came over, cuffing up the half-demon the same way they had cuffed Sesshoumaru.

"Nice rescue mission," Sesshoumaru grumbled.

"Leave me alone," Inuyasha returned. "At least I tried to help."

"They're just going to beat both of us until we scream," Sesshoumaru said. "I can hold out long enough to retain some dignity. Can you?"

"I can hold out long enough to die first. Can you?" Inuyasha retorted.


	22. Information

"He was trying to help him escape. We caught him and chained him up, but he only agreed to come along quietly if his friends were let go without harm... should it be tonight?" the Corporal asked hesitantly.

"Only if they begin to realize it. For now, let them think what they will," Satsujin replied.

"Yes, of course. They will think the same thing. They are brothers, after all."


	23. Truce

"Great, now they decide to put us in the same room together," Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Just when I thought my life couldn't get any worse, you have to show up and prove me wrong. Thanks a million for all your help, little brother. I really appreciate it when you mess everything up for the hundredth time."

"Well I love you too, big brother," Inuyasha said sarcastically as he crossed his arms. "I could have just beaten you into a bloody mess and left you there, but I didn't, now did I? You should at least be thankful for that much."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, fine, thanks. Are you happy now?"

"I feel better," Inuyasha replied, uncrossing his arms as he looked out the window. "It's kind of strange, isn't it?" he mused out loud.

"What's strange?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking over at Inuyasha.

"The way you always seem to feel better when you look up at the moon," Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sesshoumaru agreed with a sigh. "Temporary truce?" he asked.

"Deal," Inuyasha agreed. "How much of a truce?"

"That depends on you," Sesshoumaru responded. "I'll be fine with whatever kind of companionship you consider suitable."

"We'll help each other out as much as we can until we get out of here for good, and after that, it'll be over," Inuyasha suggested. "That alright with you?"

"So we're friends now?" Sesshoumaru sighed. "Alright."

"Funny how it's easy to settle arguments when you're both in a bad situation," Hitokiri finally spoke up. The two looked at him for a few seconds, and he shook his head. "Eh, whatever."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru returned their attention to the night sky, focusing on the silver crescent of light that stayed suspended in the thick carpet of black sky.


	24. Preparations

The next morning, Satsujin was hurrying about, getting things ready.

"No, no, I told you to put them on the left wing, not the right one! Oh, for crying out loud, those decorations are all wrong! Come on people, get yourselves together here!"

"Shippou, hand me that paper crane," Sango instructed.

"Miroku, help me string up this banner," Kagome said.

"Will somebody get this candle arrangement!" a demon called out in frustration.

"I can't figure out where to put these flowers," another said.

"We need some cloth to wrap this stuff in!" a third called out.

Seven hours later, everything was ready, and the whole multitude stepped back to admire their work. Demons and human alike sighed in relief as they finished everything up.

"Do you think it's going to work?" Shippou asked skeptically.

"Oh, trust me, it'll work alright," Kagome nodded confidently. "It will definitely work."

"In the meantime..." Satsujin grinned before continuing, "we should have some sort of fun prepared for our guests of honor. What say you, human girl?" he asked.

"I agree," Kagome said. "This needs to be fun if it's going to be a party!"

"Alright then," Satsujin grinned. "We need drinks, women, dancers, music, bards, poets, jesters, play-actors, and some sportsmen...among other things..."

"Don't forget to bring along some healers," Sango added. "Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt in the process. We need food as well, along with tea and water. Then we need to clear some room for the dancing area, and the courtyard can be for anyone who gets into a drunken brawl..."

"Yes, and we should have incense and private rooms," Miroku added. "For the people who...well, you know what I'm talking about," he finished.

"I agree entirely," Satsujin nodded. "You humans are helpful when it comes to suggestions."

"They're pretty smart," Shippou agreed.

"Well, I'm off to make arrangements," Satsujin smiled. "I hope you'll find tonight's party as entertaining as I will," he said with a chuckle as he left with a wave.


	25. Surprise

Two hours later, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were pulled out of their dungeon and chained up.

"You'll be blindfolded this time," a demon grinned. "It's all the more fun that way."

"Bastard," Inuyasha snarled as the blindfold was put on. Sesshoumaru stifled an angry growl as he was blindfolded as well, and they were led up to the hallway once more. The place was eerily quiet as they walked down the hallway, their footsteps echoing along the walls.

"They're here, Lord Satsujin," the guard said as the brothers were stopped.

"Good, good," Satsujin said. "You can take off thier blindfolds now," he instructed.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru didn't know what to expect, and as soon as the blindfolds came off...

"SURPRISE!" the crowd yelled happily, cheering the two brothers. The guards unlocked their shackles as the two stunned dogs looked around in confusion.

"Uh...what?" Inuyasha blinked, dumbfounded.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, turn around!" Rin called happily.

"Rin?" Sesshoumaru gaped, staring at the girl. Rin giggled and pointed behind him, and both brothers turned around.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone shouted merrily as the astounded brothers looked at the decorated banner that hung along the far wall, high above their heads.

"To the Best...est..." Sesshoumaru paused. "To the Bestest Dog Demons in the World," he read off the first banner, trying to ignore the bad grammar.

"Happy Birthday Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha," Inuyasha read the second banner in disbelief.

"Alright everyone, follow my lead!" Kagome shouted cheerfully. "Happy birthday to you..."

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear brothers...Happy birthday to you!" everyone joined in, having rehearsed before and deciding that saying the actual names would be difficult.

"And many more to come!" Shippou added when everyone was finished, getting many cheers of agreement from the gathering.

"I must be hallucinating," Inuyasha gaped.

"Inuyasha, hit me. I need to wake up," Sesshoumaru said.

"Do you want it to hurt?" Inuyasha asked.

"As much as possible," Sesshoumaru agreed.

Inuyasha ran his claw along Sesshoumaru's arm for a second, then clenched his fist and hit him.

"Ahhhh..." Sesshoumaru winced and breathed in sharply. "I'm still not awake."

"Here, hit me. Maybe I'm the one who's sleeping," Inuyasha said. Sesshoumaru whacked Inuyasha.

"Ow! Okay, no, I didn't wake up either..." Inuyasha held his arm. "That hurt," he whined.

"Shut up already," Sesshoumaru grumbled, holding his own arm.

"Silly guys," Kagome said as she walked over. "You're not dreaming! It's your birthday party! We had to surprise you, and we thought that this would be a good way to do it. Once we figured out that you two had the same birthday, we just had to throw a big party!"

"You mean that everything that the demons did to overthrow me was just set up so you could throw a birthday party?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyebrow twitching.

"Uh..." Kagome grinned nervously and looked around. "Well, I have to go...check on something..."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and began to crack his knuckles, infuriated. Inuyasha was right there as well, ready to slice somebody in half.

"Oh no, they're mad," Shippou whispered to Rin. "Now it's your turn."

"Uh-huh," Rin nodded. She went over to the brothers, gulping down her fear.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, Lord Inuyasha, look! It's a pretty flower!" she said eagerly, holding up a tiger lily. Both of them stopped and looked at her, then at each other.

Sesshoumaru sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's over with now. I suppose that hurting someone would get us nowhere."

"Eh, oh well," Inuyasha agreed. "Truce for the party, until everything is over with?"

"Alright," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Rin, you can stop placating us now."

"Yes, My Lord!" Rin said happily, running off to join the other children that had been brought along to the party.

"What now?" Sesshoumaru asked warily, looking around.

"We can always try to enjoy the party," Inuyasha said.

"How?" Sesshoumaru scoffed.

"Dammit, come on!" Inuyasha said impatiently, grabbing his brother by the wrist and dragging him over to Kagome. "Kagome, tell him how to have fun!" he said, frustrated.

"Let's do karaoke," Kagome said suddenly. "I brought my karaoke machine!"

"You should like this thing," Inuyasha said. "Miroku thought it was fun. I never tried."

"What the hell is she going to do to me?" Sesshoumaru growled.

"Nothing. You do it all yourself," Inuyasha smiled as he pushed on his brother's shoulder.

The night wore on in that fashion, and the next day everyone woke up, most of them not realizing when they had fallen asleep. Inuyasha left as soon as everyone was awake, complaining later about how he was set up and that his friends had been evil. Everything returned to normal.

Two days later, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha encountered each other along the path, and instead of fighting as they usually did, they conferred with each other to see if either knew where Naraku was. Although neither of them had a clue, both of them knew the other wasn't lying.

They were brothers, after all.


End file.
